


Coronas

by felix_is_a_gay_newsie



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Burns, Death, Fire, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 14:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16812808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felix_is_a_gay_newsie/pseuds/felix_is_a_gay_newsie
Summary: A box of cigars, that was the price paid for her life.





	Coronas

The fire sirens always woke Race up.

No one knew why, no one but him and Albert.

Albert was the one person Race trusted with his biggest secret.

Everyone joked about Race selling his mother for a box of cigars, and they were partly right. Race’s mother had been traded for a box of Corona cigars.

A whole box.

And Race saw it as his fault.

It wasn’t, not really, but that was how he saw it.

His mother’s life taken from her, and Race got a box of cigars out of the deal.

All the newsies thought that meant he had gotten cigars to smoke and keep.

They were wrong.   


Race’s father punished him often, but there was one day that punches and kicks turned to cigars. Race was just an ashtray to his father, and eventually one cigar turned to two and three and six. His mother didn’t do anything, she couldn’t do anything. Marco Higgins was tall and strong, and he got rough when he was drunk. Race didn’t blame his mother, he wouldn’t have wanted to stand up against his father either.   


Then why was that night different?   


Why was it that that night, a whole box of cigars later, that Lucia chose to stand up to her husband for once?   


“Marco, stop.”   


Two simple words, but enough for the man to throw down the not quite snuffed out cigar onto the old worn out carpet and stalk away from his son, instead rounding on his wife.   


“What did you say?” He asked, his words slurring together with drink and fatigue.   


“I told you to stop.”   


For a split second both adults were still, staring at each other, unmoving.   


Antonio’s whimpers were the only sounds to ring through the small apartment during that small split second.   


And then the sound of a hit, flesh on flesh.   


Antonio didn’t see who hit who, he was too busy watching the smoke rise up from the discarded cigar.   


And that was where it started.   


That small trickle of smoke.   


From the smoke cave flickering orange flames, small at first, but growing quickly.   


Antonio was in too much pain to say anything, all he could do was scream.   


“Shut your mouth, boy!” Marco barked loudly.   


And then Marco saw too.   


And then Lucia.   


Screams.   


Shouts.   


“Idiot boy!”   


The flames were growing fast, much too fast.   


Antonio scrambled away from the blaze, the hot flames licking at his bare feet.   


Marco was storming around the apartment, breaking things and slamming open empty cabinets in the search for his remaining bottles.   


“Antonio!”   


Lucia scooped up her son in her arms, and the small boy cried out in pain.

“Listen to me,” She whispered in the boy’s ear, “You need to go. Get out of here. I’ll meet you, but you have to go right now.”

“Mama, I’m scared.”

“I know, but you have to be strong. Please, Tonio.”

She set the boy down, wrapped a thin blanket around his shoulders, planted a kiss on his forehead, and he ran.

He heard more crashes and yells, but he kept running.

Out of the building, onto the sidewalk.

There were flashing lights, and it was so loud.

Endless sirens, the high-pitched wailing penetrated Antonio’s ears.

His eyes welled up with tears as he watched his home go up in flames, smoke pouring out into the sky.

People were coming out of the apartment building in droves, and Antonio held onto the hope that his mother would be among the crowd.

He didn’t see her though.

Antonio was pushed away by firemen, and he found himself sitting in a dark alley with his knees drawn up to his chest.

He was cold, scared, and alone.

“Where are your parents?”

Antonio looked up, and through his tears he could see a tall man standing in front of him.

“I don’t know.” Antonio choked out.

“Do you need a place to stay?” The man asked.

“Wh-who are you?” Antonio asked, his voice trembling.

“My name is Mr. Snyder. Come with me, I can take you to a safe place where you can wait for your mother.”

The man held out his hand, offering the boy a smile.

Antonio took it.

No one knew but Race and Albert.

Race was ashamed, and he felt guilty.

It was his fault.

_ His _ fault!

His mother for a whole box of Corona cigars.

Scars burned into his back to remind him every day of his failures.

**Author's Note:**

> leave a kudos or a comment?


End file.
